How to Maintain Vibrant, Jewel-Toned Hair

Whether you heard it here first or not, jewel-toned hair has officially replaced pastels in the fashion color realm of tresses. We’re talking deep hunter green, mesmerizing sapphire, and metallics like rose gold, and silky bronze taking over where cotton-candy pinks once reigned supreme. While jewel-toned hair looks fabulous, it’s not exactly the easiest style to keep up. Between the color deposits on your shower drain and stained pillowcases (not to mention hair damage and constant salon visits), it’s a downright pain to maintain. However, there are certain measures you can take to make your jewel-toned hair stay vibrant—and your life much easier. American Mortals colorist Nikki Horne dishes her tricks of the trade for you to start copying now.  

• Become friends with your stylist—you’ll be seeing a lot of each other. “If you want to maintain the brightness of a jewel tone, come in every 6 weeks,” Horne recommends. Sure, the color will begin to fade at that point, but luckily for you, pastel is still a cool look.
• Seal in that color before you even leave the salon. A little color will come out every time you wash your hair—that’s inevitable. But you can minimize just how much rinses out by making sure your salon offers a sealing treatment to wrap the cuticle. It’ll lock in your color, making sure that jewel-toned hair stays, well, jewel toned for longer.
• Shampooing is tricky business. Try to go as long in between washes as you can stand. (Psst: Click here if you’re obsessed with washing your hair every day.) For the times you do shampoo, be sure to use one that’s color-safe. Horne says, “It’s better to not wash your hair and just dry shampoo than wash with a non-color-safe shampoo.” When it comes to sud selection, go with the shampoo that was made in conjunction with the brand/color line used in your hair.
• Don’t even wet your hair. Just rinsing and conditioning your tresses is doing nothing good for your color. Why? “The chemical process that happens to your hair every time you wet it is it lifts the cuticle,” allowing your color to drain out. “If you want your color to last, I wouldn’t wet it at all.” Shower caps are your friends, people!
• Say no to the heat tools. Your jewel-toned hair has been double processed, so it’s fragile. Messy hair is in right now, so ride the relaxed wave! If staying away from your straightener sends you into a cold sweat, at least use a good thermal protectant spray to keep the cuticles smoothed down. If you use heat tools on the reg, be sure to stick to an eight-week haircut schedule religiously.
• Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t expect to go from jet black to rose gold in one sitting. In fact, depending on your hair, it could take as many as four salon visits to get your hair looking the way you are hoping. Trust your stylist when he or she says it shouldn’t be done all at once—they’re looking out for your hair’s health!

Sure, jewel-toned hair that’s bright and fabulous takes work. But at least this hair color trend gets more longevity than quickly-fading pastel hues. Jewel-toned hair is current, fresh and long-lasting if you follow these maintenance tips, so don’t be afraid to make the jump!

The Details: American Mortals Salon locations at 727 Walnut Street, Washington Square West, 215-574-1234; 2101 Christian Street, Graduate Hospital, 267-519-2325, and 700 Passyunk Avenue, Queen Village, 267-928-3055.